Derek Norris has a higher batting average than the American League's leading hitter but doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting race.

Brandon Moss is fourth in the league in RBIs despite rarely playing against left-handed pitchers.

Should Norris and Moss play more?

"We don't rule anything out here," manager Bob Melvin said. "We just want to get the best matchups all the time."

Another possible platoon player was added to the mix Thursday when the A's traded for San Diego's Kyle Blanks, who bats right-handed and plays first base and the outfield.

The way Norris (who swings right-handed) and Moss (who swings left-handed) are performing, they shouldn't be ruled out as All-Star candidates despite their lack of full-time status. Neither would deny wondering what they could do if given a shot to play every day.

"You're not human if you don't think that," said Norris, who shares catching duties with .307-hitting John Jaso. "That's also ifs, ands and buts. That's a game a lot of people can play. Playing every day is a huge part of putting up big numbers. It's tough to put up large numbers when you're getting a smaller number of at-bats."

Norris is almost always in the lineup against left-handers, less so against righties. It's the opposite for Moss. But Norris' average is similar against righties (.348) to what it is against lefties (.357), and Moss actually has a better average vs. lefties (.320) than righties (.270).

Still, Moss confessed he's restricted against lefties.

"I know I could be a serviceable every-day player," he said. "I know what I'm good at and my limitations. I know I can be moderately productive against left-handed pitching, but I'm not a power threat against lefties unless they make a mistake. If you have better options, you should go with better options."

Not exactly what an agent wants to hear, but a manager can appreciate the team concept.

For Norris, coming to grips with seeing a lineup card absent his name was a work in progress. He admitted it made him mad last season.

"That's the biggest change for me this year," Norris said. "Whenever I wasn't in there, I was a little upset. I'm still a little upset, but instead of taking the negative route, it's, 'OK, get ready for your chance.' Just because you don't start, you can still be an impact player in the game with a pinch hit or whatever."

A player needs 3.1 plate appearances per team game to qualify for the batting race, and Norris - who's hitting .352 (16 points better than the Tigers' Victor Martinez) - would need 127. He has 102 and could catch up as Melvin finds it more difficult to take him out of the lineup against right-handers, sometimes employing a lineup that has Jaso as the designated hitter.

Moss' 33 RBIs rank with the big boys. Only Jose Abreu (41), Miguel Cabrera (35) and Nelson Cruz (35) have more in the AL. Moss could force himself into more playing time, too. While the A's probably want a good look at Blanks at least as a platoon first baseman, they no longer will play Daric Barton ahead of Moss, who can also play the outfield.

Barton was designated for assignment to clear room for Blanks.

"I've found my value is doing damage against right-handed pitching," Moss said. "That's the way this team is set up, to have guys find their value with platoon splits. That's why we're so successful. On the other hand, nobody on this team is an automatic out against the same-sided pitching."

A's trade for Kyle Blanks, a right-handed power hitter, and designate Daric Barton for assignment. B5